Life Goes On Movie Review

It's one thing to get inspired by a great play like King Lear or a book like Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet but it's something else when your characters end up mouthing someone else's words as if they were their own! Watching Sangeeta Datta's Life Goes On you can't help but get a feeling that the writer-director put everything she liked right from Shakespeare to Ritwik Ghatak to Satyajit Ray in a box and shook it till something resembling a film came emerged!
One fine day Manju (Sharmila Tagore), a doting wife, a loving mother of three and a loyal friend passes away. Her death makes Sanjay (Girish Karnad) realize that he barely knows his three daughters--Lolita (Mukulika Banerjee), Tuli (Neerja Naik), and Dia (Soha Ali Khan). Lolita's British husband doesn't have time for his family; Tuli worries about her job way too much and Dia doesn't know how to tell her father that she is pregnant with her Muslim boyfriend's baby. The three try to grapple with life while preparing for their mother's funeral with a little help Alok (Om Puri), a close friend of the family.
The days leading up to Manju's funeral tests the bonds these five people share and in the end everyone comes to terms with their demons and life, goes on.
Sangeeta Datta's Life Goes On must have been a good idea on paper--three sisters coming closer after their mother's death while their father realizes that he barely knew the wonder his dead wife was and how let goes of the control he wields over his youngest daughter in the name of love.
Life Goes On Shortcomings
This film laced with some lilting Rabindranath Tagore songs and highly-stylized shots could have one of those slice-of-life tales. But what one gets is a bunch of highly archaic lines spoken by actors who are woefully uncomfortable with the language they converse in.
Life Goes On has been called a modern day adaptation of King Lear set in present-day London amongst an Indian family. The liberal references to the play can only be seen in the Girish Karand and Soha Ali Khan track that sticks out from the rest of the film and becomes a Lear and Cordelia interaction every time the screenplay shifts to them.
If Datta was so inspired by King Lear and really wanted to draw parallels between Dia's play and the real life drama that unfolds around her once her mother passes away then she should have just adapted Shakespeare. What she does instead is conveniently use the play's lines at critical places in the film to aide the otherwise lackluster drama.
Watching Life Goes On can be a painful exercise. This is a film that operates solely on showing the obvious, stating the obvious and characters talking the obvious, sometimes in two languages. Most scenes follow the same template- soft focus shot of flowers, characters revealed with shifting focus, talking about the mystery called dead mommy and bigger mystery called life and then translating the lines into English if spoken in Bangla, getting angry with the other character in the scene, storming away from the scene. This is repeated for most of the film's screen time.
Mike Leigh's Another Year is about a year in a happily married forever couple's life. Loaded with slices of life, Another Year is about regular people going about the regular life but the manner in which Leigh unfolds the story makes it an exceptional experience. Datta on the other tries to be over-smart in her effort to be regular. She infuses her screenplay with many popular cultural references that it becomes overbearing after a while. What was she thinking? Did she think that those who didn't know the source would be impressed and those who knew would be awed that she has great taste? Sanjay finally let's go of controlling everyone around him when he reads his wife's diary. But when you realize that Manju's words are actually Khalil Gibran's--Our children are not our children but they are the sons and daughters of life's longing for itself...'-- you wonder couldn't Datta come up with a half-decent line that was half-original to convey something so simple?
Life Goes On Actors & Acting
There is great discomfort on the part of all the actors in Life Goes On. Sharmila Tagore, who looks as graceful as poetry in motion and even though her acting is patchy, she is the only one who seems to be somewhat comfortable with the character. Physically everyone looks the part but the English lines make them look like props in some bad school production. Soha Ali Khan look lost while speaking her lines and Puri looks at ease only when he speaks a few lines in Hindi. Karnad does infuse some life into Sanjay but it's mostly laboured. Both Mukherjee and Naik are hyperactive even when quietly observing others.
There are portions in the film that are funny and poignant, Robert Shacklady's digital cinematography (the film was shot on RED) with it's bad lighting jerks notwithstanding is mostly good but sadly in the end Life Goes On ends up looking like a celebration of Bengali culture--Rabindra Sangeet, references to iconic lines from a Ritwik Ghatak film, the plot of a Satyajit Ray masterpiece masquerading as a grandfather tale.

Stairs and Steps on the Silver Screen

Think of the great movies of our times and chances are stairs have played a prominent role at some point in the film. Whether they are the backdrop to a classic scene or a live prop in the scene itself, these films just wouldn't be the same without them.
Here are the three most famous uses of stairs that you will find on the silver screen. Who can forget the unforgettable role they have played in these movies?
1. Harry Potter
Harry's unhappy residence at the Durleys' is symbolised by the fact that he is subject to living in the cupboard under the stairs. Here, the stairs (or rather the cupboard they create) are complicit in the evil that Harry Potter is subjected to whilst he lives in the Durleys' home.
Harry is woken and disturbed each morning by the thud of his family members coming down the stairs of the house. Fortunately for Harry, the Durleys move him to a proper bedroom at the end of the first book.
2. Rocky
The steps (or stairs) of the Philadelphia Museum of Art were immortalised in the Rocky film series. They have become known as the 'Rocky Steps' after the iconic scene where Rocky climbs the steps as part of his training.
The scene is a metaphor for the triumph of the underdog in the face of adversity. There is now a bronze statue of the Rocky character near the steps, providing an excellent photo opportunity for tourists looking to follow in the footsteps of their hero.
3. Titanic
Lastly, but not least, we should mention the stairs featured in the 1997 James Cameron blockbuster. The Grand Staircase of the Titanic existed on the real Titanic. It was the staircase that served as the first class entrance on Titanic.
The staircase became the focal point of the Titanic film. It is used to bookmark the beginning and end of the film. One only has to look at a picture of this staircase, or see the replica on the film, to see that it was one of the most luxurious set of stairs ever built.
These are the three most famous uses of stairs and steps on the similar screen. There are others and one can be almost certain that stairs will continue to play a prominent role in the films of the future. Stairs really are the true stars of the silver screen.

World Cinema Classic: The Great Escape (1963)

Cast: Steve McQueen(Capt Hilts), Richard Attenborough(Roger Bartlett) James Garner (Hendley)
Genre: History/ Adventure/ Drama
Plot: A star studded classic based on the real prison break events of WWII in Germany. Germans have set up an escape proof prison camp for the frequent escapees of allied forces. A group of POWs plan a massive escape for 100 plus detainees.
There is something about these pre-generation legends. When a movie begins you find there acts somewhat awkward then-as movie progresses-there persona starts taking over and in the end it's the characters that are left behind with you forever.
This was the exact case with "The Great Escape" as well. You wont ever forget the "Cooler king" Hilts, who is more often than not ends up in cooler-isolation cell or the "squadron leader" Bartlett or the Forger Lt. Blythe or the Aussie tools-magician Sedgwick, frankly all of them are so dear.
The actual escape plan of prisoners and it's preparation is very minutely shown in the movie- the hurdles they face, the tricks they use, to get over them! It was all so refreshing and full of merriment.
Plan was to run out with all the 250 prisoners and three tunnels were dug simultaneously -Tom, Dick and Harry. Though only 70 prisoners escape and just 20 of them reach there destinations, rest are captured and shot dead. But what happens in-between all this is what you need to watch the movie for. There is chase, there is fight and as much excitement as you can take without hurting your stomach seriously!
One of the memorable scene is Hilts Potato act. He keeps everyone guessing and surprisingly comes out with a potato concoction for 4th of July. Sorry for the spoiler! There are many other unforgettable scenes. Hilts coming back to the prison after escaping was also very admirable. This helped prisoners to plan out the escape routes.
The movie maintains a comic and jolly tone throughout. Germans want to keep the POWs isolated from war but POWs still do what a sworn officer is supposed to do-that is trouble the Germans as much as possible!
The recapture of the 50 prisoner was also a win for them because they drove the German sanity to hell before being captured and failed the enemy's objective of keeping them away from participating in the war. They participated in their own unique manner!

Postal - An Acquired Taste (Or Lack Thereof)

If you've never heard of German director Uwe Boll, that most likely means you've just avoided some really bad movies. The only other one of his films I've seen so far was 2005′s Alone in the Dark, a truly terrible film at least as bad as any I've previously deemed the worst of the decade, but by all accounts I've heard, his other previous films - including House of the Dead (2003), Bloodrayne (2005) and In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (2007) - are also among the worst ever made. He is famous for his execrable video game adaptations (see all of the above) and for financing them through a loophole in German tax law that rewards filmmakers; the law has since been changed, presumably to make it more difficult for Boll to make movies. So it was with the gleeful fascination of a movie so bad it's funny (i.e. Troll 2 or The Room) that I approached his post-911 comedy Postal. Three days and four viewings of the film later, my mind was blown.
This movie is brilliant!
Without even getting into the plot or the many hilarious things that transpire throughout the film, let me just recount the opening scene for you - it will convince you to either see the movie as soon as possible or stay away forever: two terrorists hijacking a plane on September 11, 2001, are in the midst of an argument about their eternal reward for the suicide bombing they are about to carry out. In Islamic tradition, they are supposed to get a hundred virgins each awaiting them in the afterlife; however, one of the two has heard that the number is actually closer to ten. The other replies, "Well, that's ten more than you have now." "Yeah," the other says, "but how long will they be virgins. Not long, right?" Finally, they call the boss to get an estimate and, when it is a disappointing figure, they decide to call off the jihad. At that precise moment, a group of heroic passengers break into the cabin to stop them, inadvertently causing the plane to fly directly into the World Trade Center.
It is the perfectly realized beginning to one of the most irreverent and absurd comedies I've ever seen. Poor taste and hilarious sight gags abound, and stars Zack Ward (the evil Scut Farkus from 1983′s A Christmas Story) and The Kids in the Hall's Dave Foley are excellent as a laid-off postal worker and his cult guru uncle, respectively. Together, they form a plan to rob a German-themed amusement park owned by Boll, unknowingly ending up in the middle of a Taliban plot to do the very same thing.
Loosely inspired by a video game, this film playfully turns Boll's reputation on its head and ultimately comes out more like a Troma Team version of Dr. Strangelove than a mass-produced action flick. It may be a fluke in the German hackmeister's career, and I may be one of the only people out there who feels this strongly about it, but I think this is one of the funniest and most original movies of the decade.

Movie Review: Your Highness (2011)

Your Highness offers plenty of sword and sorcery action, explosive special effects, and bloody battles with towering beasts and hellish wizards. Too bad the film so desperately wants to be a comedy. While there are some genuinely funny moments, the vulgarities and obscenities tire quickly with their incessant usage and the colorfully inauthentic medieval speak can only carry the humor so far. It's a unique blend, but ultimately an unbalanced one, as the flashy action sequences provide far more entertainment than the scattering of silly slapstick gags and inane ramblings of rivalrous siblings. An action fantasy film with a little humor, or a flat-out comedy set in the world of knights in shining armor would have been preferable, but the fifty-fifty split only manages to satisfy half the time.
Constantly overshadowed by the chivalrous actions of his brother Prince Fabious (James Franco), disgruntled scoundrel Thadeous (Danny McBride) vents his frustrations by blundering simple diplomatic assignments, indulging in too many spirits, and berating his aide Courtney (Rasmus Hardiker). But when Fabious' new bride Belladonna (Zooey Deschanel) is kidnapped by the evil sorcerer Leezar (Justin Theroux), Thadeous is forced to tag along on his very first quest. Encountering a perverted yet wise magus, bare-breasted jungle savages, and the fiercely driven warrior woman Isabel (Natalie Portman), Thadeous must learn to play the role of a valiant knight - and when Fabious is captured by Leezar, the bumbling prince might just become a hero as well.
Your Highness doesn't offer up any surprises. It's a stoner comedy fused with a swords-and-sorcery epic, replete with riddles, mythological monsters, warlocks, riddles, a labyrinth, helpless virgins and colorful magic. Knights in shining armor rescue damsels in distress in an adventure to vanquish a mighty sorcerer. They do, however, creatively curse with the most anachronously silly language. Nearly every line of McBride's dialogue ends with crassness, which manages a genuine laugh only the first few times. "Sourpuss," "Duh," "Nice," and most of the profanity offers a simpering touch rarely seen in period-piece comedies.
Unlike Monty Python and the Holy Grail or Robin Hood: Men in Tights, the special effects-laden action is of the caliber and quantity of a serious production, contributing to the same difficulties found with Pineapple Express - it's a stoner comedy with too much focus on the companion genre. It seems confused whether it wants to be a joke or an action film. Fortunately, Your Highness features a pleasing opening title sequence reminiscent of a Disneyland ride, sibling rivalry bested only by a good smoke, goofy supporting characters (many included for a single gag, then disposed of), and Natalie Portman, who proves her acting chops in a new light: she must recite achingly asinine lines while keeping a straight face. At least the specialization in awkward situations and embarrassing encounters reigns supreme in a bawdy road trip quest with a few thrillingly fun medieval skirmishes.

Ben Turpin: Here's Looking at You!

Be careful, you're eyes just might stick that way; permanently! Did you ever have your mother tell you that when you crossed your eyes and made faces at your older brother or sister? Most of us did in my day. Mothers were always warning us of the consequences of whatever juvenile antics we may try to enjoy. I won't even go into the whole "you'll go blind" thing.
However, there was a man who did have his eyes permanently crossed after suffering an accident as a young adult. Though it isn't actually clear how this occurred, he soon turned his distinctive ocular deformity into an asset in entertainment. Working in vaudeville and burlesque, he quickly became a recognizable character on stage, and later on the silver screen.
Marty Feldman was another googly-eyed film actor familiar to later generations of movie fans. Appearing in films such as Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein, he was eventually immortalized in the song Marty Feldman Eyes, a parody of the Kim Carnes' song She's got Betty Davis Eyes. Ben never got his own song, but movie critic Leonard Maltin once said of him "to the end, Ben Turpin's face was his fortune." He said of himself that he was so crossed-eyed "when he cried, tears rolled down his back."
His wiry frame was well suited for the slapstick comedy that he pioneered along with other silent film stars like Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd and Charlie Chaplin. The pratfall, that staple of physical comedy, was a Ben Turpin trademark. He was master of a sight gag he called the "Hundred and Eight" which consisted of a backwards somersault that left the actor in a seated position, appearing dazed and confused. This was something he did better than most. Astonishingly, Ben was able to perform this stunt well into his 60s.
Born in the post Civil War South of 1869, young Ben had grown up the son of a New Orleans candy store owner. It was a period of reconstruction that reshaped the former Confederacy and no doubt influenced Ben's character. His father then moved his family about the country to suit his modest financial status.
It is speculated that he spent part of his early adult years as a hobo. Having squandered the hundred dollars he been given to make his start in life, it is thought that he took to hopping freight trains rather than face his father's wrath. Many of these facts of his early life are hazy at best. His initial work in show business, as well as his hobo career and the events contributing to his eye condition, is sketchy. This is probably due to his own changing version of biographical details.
As a man of comedy he suffered heartbreak in his personal life. His first wife, actress Carrie Le Mieux, contracted influenza in 1923 which resulted in hearing loss, and she eventually became an invalid. The heartbroken Turpin took his wife all the way to the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre' in Quebec with the hope of healing her. Despite putting his own career on hold in order to care for her, Carrie passed away from her infirmities in 1925.
His entertainment career had begun when a newspaper ad caught his eye (no pun intended) seeking comedy acts. He was able to book shows along with a partner. But getting into the movie business also meant working as a janitor at Essanay Studios in 1907. Languishing in relative obscurity, he spent two years there appearing sporadically in comedy shorts.
Turpin's initial appearances were lackluster and it was not until he was teamed with rising star Charlie Chaplin that his fortunes improved dramatically. Chaplin, who had joined Essanay in 1915, introduced Turpin to Mack Sennett two years later. Though he did not appear in as many films as other of Sennett's top comedians he quickly became the studio's most popular star. His film credits between 1907 and 1940 include about 200 movies and film shorts.
Some of his most popular and successful movies were parodies of other, more serious, Hollywood idols such of Rudolph Valentino. Because of his lampooning of such greats as Erich Von Stroheim, some lauded as a satiric genius. Others would credit him with merely being adept at translating into action the routines provided by the writing staff. Ace pranksters like Frank Capra (It's a Wonderful Life) and Mal St. Clair are considered the true talent behind the actor. He was thought by some to be only as good as the material written for him.
Unlike many of today's Hollywood Celebs, Ben was no prima donna. He seemed to care little for the fact that grander opportunities had passed him by. To the contrary, Ben was content to have made $3,000 a week - a hefty sum in those days - during his tenure as a film star. So much so that he unabashedly shared this fact with total strangers on the street.
Ben's frugality, no doubt a trait acquired from his humble beginnings, allowed Ben to save and invest much of his earnings. He was savvy enough to invest in real estate and properties. How could you go wrong with real estate in California? Working as a janitor in his own posh apartment buildings, just to save a few bucks a month, is an example of his thrift and work ethic.
Interesting to note is the fact that Ben's eye's were not truly crossed. This is evidenced in Hollywood Cavalcade, a partially fictionalized movie depicting the silent film era. Ben's sequence shows him reporting for a typical day's work. In his dressing room, as he prepares for the cameras, he is shown checking himself in the mirror. It is clearly shown that he intentionally crosses his left eye to match the misaligned right eye, as part of his onscreen persona.
In his final film appearance, Turpin portrays a myopic apartment house plumber. Titled Saps at Sea (1940), it starred comic greats Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy. His professional incompetence resulted in crossed wires and pipes that produced music playing refrigerators and ice encrusted radios.
Ben's passing in 1940 was due to a heart attack. He was 70 years old. Eulogized in a Requiem Mass by Father J.P. Concannon as "a fine member of his church, strong in faith." he was taken from the Beverly Hills Church of the Good Shepherd to Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery for interment in Glendale, California.
Ben Turpin would perhaps be an unlikely candidate for stardom today, but being in the right place at the right time earned him a place in the hearts of millions; the millions of movies fans that found laughter in his slapstick comedy, and escape from the sorrow and boredom of their daily lives. His comic characterizations have made him American Classic.

Richard Quindry writes fiction and non-fiction on his website. He can be contacted via email at the email address shown below. He accepts free lance assignments and enjoys researching topics of every sort. He is an avid reader of many other Blogs and likes to share ideas with other writers. You're invited to join Hugh and the Gang at Hugh Cares and become part of the discussion.
His favorite books include mysteries, science-fiction and biographies. He also enjoys writing poetry, a talent he acquired from his grandfather. He has authored a children's book soon to be released that will be the first in a series.

Gary Cooper - High Noon 1952

High Noon (1952) starring Gary Cooper is an American western film directed by Fred Zinnemann and is considered, both culturally and historically, as being one of the most significant films ever produced.
The plot begins with Cooper's character Will Kane, the longtime marshal of Hadleyville, New Mexico, turning in his badge in order to marry Amy Fowler, a pacifist Quaker, played by Grace Kelly. His intention is to become a storekeeper and lead a peaceful life with his new bride. However, fate will not make this as easy to do as it may sound. News has just arrived in town that outlaw Frank Miller, whose capture by Kane had resulted in Miller's conviction and a hanging sentence, was pardoned as a result of a legal technicality.
Kane's life path has just taken a potentially fatal turn as Miller will be arriving on the noon train.
Miller had vowed during his trial that one day he would return to kill Kane. With the encouragement of the townspeople, and Miller's gang waiting at the train station, Kane quickly leaves town with his new wife Amy. They hadn't gone far when the realization sets in that Miller and his gang will only follow and track them down. There would never be any peace. Kane returns to town, with Amy refusing to go with him, reclaims his badge and begins to try an assemble enough help from the men in town to deal with the killer and his gang.
However, Kane finds that the townspeople are too frightened to stand up to Miller's gang and he is now forced to face the men on his own. During the fateful showdown, Kane guns down two of the gang members and is wounded in the action. Upon hearing the gunshots, Amy hurries back to town and is taken hostage by Miller who intends to use her as a shield when facing Kane.
High Noon is an exceptional tale of morality in the old west and a western classic in the truest meaning of the term.
The films production was affected by the then current political fever referred to as the Red Scare. Writer and producer Carl Foreman was called before the House Un-American Activities Committee while writing the film. Although Foreman had not been directly involved with the Communist Party for a decade, he was still pressured to sell his portion of the production company and ultimately ended up being exiled to England. As a member of the Hollywood Black List, Foreman was never allowed to work in America again.
In spite of the controversy and negative sentiment regarding the production of High Noon created by Senator Joseph McCarthy and his anti-communist group, Gary Cooper received an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. However, the film lost the Best Picture Award to The Greatest Show on Earth, by Cecil B. DeMille, a long time supporter of Senator Joseph McCarthy.
This was one of the biggest Best Picture upsets in the Academy's history and proved to be another unfortunate example of the disturbing influence of the HUAC concerning the production of High Noon and the entire Hollywood movie industry.

Do You Need to Go to Film School to Have a Career in the Film Industry?

What do Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, Robert Rodriguez, Richard Linklater, Spike Jonze and Steven Spielberg have in common? Answer: they didn't attend film school. El Mariachi, Rodriguez's breakout film, was shot so he could understand how, a story he describes in his book Rebel Without a Crew.
Unlike a lot of careers, there is no specific qualification needed to start. Film is not medicine: there's no requirement to have a degree or a diploma in anything.
A number of location managers and assistant directors in reality say they like Production Assistants who haven't been to film school, mainly because they are the ones most keen to be taught and who understand they don't know anything. Often film school graduates think they know almost everything, and that causes them to not seek advice, and that causes them to make a mess of things.
The short answer is that you don't need to go to film school to get a job in the film industry.
For film production, and in particular PAs, the best significant skill is an ability to get things done and get them done well. You are continually judged on your ability to help the production move forward, and whether you can solve problems. Your past experience has no bearing on that, if somebody trusts you they will choose you, end of story. Having worked on films for university with a few other students doesn't mean you are able to work on a huge professional set with lots of people.
That's not to say that film school is a waste of time, far from it. Obtaining a career is all in relation to who you know and while you're at film school, you familiarize yourself with a lot of people. Some production companies have internship agreements with educational institutions too. If you can get an internship, it's a very beneficial way of heading on to a full time career. Additionally, you do get to gain knowledge of what is involved in making film, something which you would have to learn yourself otherwise. That can be a daunting task, and the structure that comes with a course can help people who are not good at self-motivated learning.
So in review, film school is highly-priced and you can skip it if you want a job in the film industry. It has great networking possibilities, but so does spending those years meeting, greeting and working!

Transylvania International Film Festival 2011, Cluj-Nappoca

In the heart of Transylvania, land of Dracula, is the city of Cluj-Napoca host of the Transylvania International Film Festival also known as TIFF. The festival is often confused with the Toronto festival because they share the same acronym. But if you just refer to Europe then there is no mistake in the middle.
The festival has reached his 10th anniversary, the first edition of the TIFF was held in the year 2002 in the city of Cluj-Napoca. As the festival grew more popular it traveled trough several cities of Romania, but the main host of the festival remains the city of Cluj-Napoca. This year the participant movies will also play in Sibiu and the Bucharest (the capital of Romania).
In the 9 years history of the festival a lot of big names from the movie industry have participated as quests, jury or in the contest, among them we can name: Franco Nero, Julie Delpy, Wim Wenders, Michael Radford, Annie Girardot, Udo Kier, Vanessa Redgrave, Nicolas Roeg, Catherine Deneuve and Claudia Cardinale.
The 2007 edition of the TIFF, was the first to be presented simultaneously in the cities of Cluj-Napoca and Sibiu. In that year Sibiu was the declared the Cultural Capital of Europe.
The last year's edition of the festival presented a record of 240 films and over 55.000 participants culminating with movie projections in the central square of Cluj-Napoca.
This year's edition is scheduled between 3-12 June in Cluj-Napoca and promises a spectacular fight for the Transylvania trophy, the most desired award of the competition. There will be 12 movies battling for this prize, movies from various countries such as: Sweden, Germany, Denmark, Iceland, Argentina, Belgium, Uruguay, Israel, Russian and India. After Cluj-Napoca, the festival will move to Sibiu between 15-19 June, playing the same movies, but now with the winners already known, helping in a way the movie lovers to choose what they want to see.
The Transylvania International Film Festival has a total of 20 awards on the table for the 2011 edition, from which we can mention: Transylvania Trophy, Best Actor, Special Award of the Jury, Let's Go Digital, Romanian Days. It will be a hard task for the jury to pick the winners as the quality of the movies is higher and higher each year.
Because of the increasing popularity of the festival more and more domestic movies are making their debut at the TIFF to benefit from the publicity and notoriety that has raised over the years.

Top Film Schools - Perception Is Everything

The internet is full of sites and articles proclaiming the virtues of the top film schools. They will detail explicitly the benefits of attending one institution over another. However, what they do not tell you is that the school itself likely owns the website or is paying an entrepreneur commissions for sending potential students their way.
Many people will find this little tidbit shocking, especially since these are many times highly regarded universities. Yet they are stooping to spending millions to promote and advertise their film school. However if you look into the history of these types of schools it is less surprising. You may even change your mind about attending if you look a little deeper.
The very first movie making school was founded at the University of Southern California, but before that movie studios largely relied on training their staff in house for their entertainment manufacturing. In those days movies were not considered a form of artistic expression and they were forced out in assembly line fashion. Workers were paid a tiny wage for the small range of specialty tasks they would perform.
Glamor was definitely not the order of the day and turnover was extremely high. They figured out the job was not all it was cracked up to be. Studio execs came up with a devious solution to the problem of training costs and high turnover. They worked with U.S.C. to institute a film school that would train potential workers. The school and the executives came out ahead on this deal, the school could charge tuition and the movie companies could simply wait for the best and brightest among graduating students.
This may sound unbelievable, however when you look at the origins of school, particularly public school, you will see that the industrial revolution and the need for factory workers was a driving force. There is an added bonus for schools, it seems to be quite the profitable venture as students will compete and pay huge sums happily just to be able to attend.
To add insult to injury, top rated film schools can charge up to $100,000 for degree coursework but the resulting degree will only qualify you to work in the lowest paid and most menial positions with today's movie production companies. If you are thinking seriously about making big money in Hollywood you will want to look at the individuals in the industry who are doing the same and train for a similar position.
Million dollar salaries in the film world are only going to the rare and extremely talented individuals, namely popular actors and film directors. Unfortunately, these are also the exception to the rule in Hollywood. Most actors and film workers are unemployed and struggling to make ends meet.
For the most part large salaries in the film industry are reserved for producers, lawyers and executives who control movie production and provide representation for the different artists involved in a project. Do not be fooled by the glitz and glamor, the film industry is a business and training for success in the field is best done with a law or business administration degree with a focus on the film industry.
There are several schools in this country who offer these types of degrees and while it may not sound as fancy or exciting as film school, in the end your success will likely be much larger.

Living An ALL IN Life

It will come as no shock to most of you that I love the game of poker.  I do, really, for many, many reasons.
Yes, I have a few businesses in the industry, but I loved the game way before I went into the poker business.  For me, there is an attitude and a philosophy in poker that is so beautiful when transferred over to our lives...and that is the commitment to BEING All In.
In poker, going all in is when you put all of your chips in the middle.
That's worth repeating.
Putting all of your chips in the middle.
In a tournament, that means you are completely at risk.  Win and you are still in.  Lose and you are out.
Now THAT is commitment.  It's exciting.  It's bold.  It's risky.  It's powerful...and you know what...it's fun as hell.
In fact, it's down right exhillerating.
I started to think what being All In really means to me...and I woke up the other night and created what I call the All In Commitments.
Here you go.

1. Live Life To The Fullest - Play Full Out


2. Create Freedom - Personally & Financially


3. Be Bold, Take Risks and Have Fun


4. Give Back & Make A Difference In The World


5. Be A Lifelong Learner - Constantly Challenge Yourself


6. Live With Passion & Purpose


7. Lead By Example


8. Consistently Challenge Yourself - Play BIG

Living An ALL IN Life

It will come as no shock to most of you that I love the game of poker.  I do, really, for many, many reasons.
Yes, I have a few businesses in the industry, but I loved the game way before I went into the poker business.  For me, there is an attitude and a philosophy in poker that is so beautiful when transferred over to our lives...and that is the commitment to BEING All In.
In poker, going all in is when you put all of your chips in the middle.
That's worth repeating.
Putting all of your chips in the middle.
In a tournament, that means you are completely at risk.  Win and you are still in.  Lose and you are out.
Now THAT is commitment.  It's exciting.  It's bold.  It's risky.  It's powerful...and you know what...it's fun as hell.
In fact, it's down right exhillerating.
I started to think what being All In really means to me...and I woke up the other night and created what I call the All In Commitments.
Here you go.

1. Live Life To The Fullest - Play Full Out


2. Create Freedom - Personally & Financially


3. Be Bold, Take Risks and Have Fun


4. Give Back & Make A Difference In The World


5. Be A Lifelong Learner - Constantly Challenge Yourself


6. Live With Passion & Purpose


7. Lead By Example


8. Consistently Challenge Yourself - Play BIG

Music and Movie Fans Stream Content Online With Satellite TV

For years, movie and music fans have spent a lot of money on the big collections they've built up. DVDs and CDs haven't been cheap, and unfortunately, as many people have noticed they're out of date these days. As a result, some people are starting to update their collections by purchasing expensive Blu-rays and electronic albums, but as many other people are realizing, they can save a lot of money and space in their house by streaming movies and music online instead. In order to stream content online without any glitches though, viewers have to have a fast internet connection, and that just isn't possible with a dial-up internet connection. If you're going to make the switch to online streaming, then you should make the switch to satellite internet.
Satellite internet connections are 50 times faster than dial-up connections, which is quite a leap in speed. For anyone who is going to download or stream large files online, that kind of speed is definitely necessary. Music and movie fans can stream or download content from several different providers online, but no matter what service they choose to use, it's completely useless without a fast internet connection. Dial-up internet users have been behind the times for years, but at this point, they're not just dealing with long wait times, they're missing out on many different online opportunities that exists these days.
One of the most popular online movie streaming websites is Netflix, which offers viewers instant access to more than 17,000 movies. After paying around $8 per month, you can just log-in, select a movie and start watching, which is much faster than having to run out to the store to buy or rent a film. Depending on how many movies you watch per month, it's also much cheaper to pay a small flat-fee like this. Yet, if you've ever tried streaming with a slow connection, then you know how frustrating it can be. Without satellite internet service, viewers' connections will often timeout and videos will stop loading. When you've just found a good movie to watch, there's nothing more frustrating than not being able to watch it due to your poor internet access. Netflix has competition from other content providers like Hulu, iTunes, Amazon and many others, and all of those are good options that have their own benefits and drawbacks.
Music fans really enjoy being able to stream songs online because it enables them to learn about new bands they wouldn't have otherwise heard about. Websites like Pandora enable people with fast satellite internet connections to stream radio stations online and each radio station is closely tied to a theme or band. If you don't like a song that you hear, you can even skip ahead to the next one. Additionally, websites like MySpace and YouTube make it possible to listen to entire songs or watch music videos from specific bands of your choosing. There are plenty of other great listening options for listening to music online as well, but no matter what outlet you go through, you'll want to have speedy satellite internet access so you don't run into problems.

Music and Movie Fans Stream Content Online With Satellite TV

For years, movie and music fans have spent a lot of money on the big collections they've built up. DVDs and CDs haven't been cheap, and unfortunately, as many people have noticed they're out of date these days. As a result, some people are starting to update their collections by purchasing expensive Blu-rays and electronic albums, but as many other people are realizing, they can save a lot of money and space in their house by streaming movies and music online instead. In order to stream content online without any glitches though, viewers have to have a fast internet connection, and that just isn't possible with a dial-up internet connection. If you're going to make the switch to online streaming, then you should make the switch to satellite internet.
Satellite internet connections are 50 times faster than dial-up connections, which is quite a leap in speed. For anyone who is going to download or stream large files online, that kind of speed is definitely necessary. Music and movie fans can stream or download content from several different providers online, but no matter what service they choose to use, it's completely useless without a fast internet connection. Dial-up internet users have been behind the times for years, but at this point, they're not just dealing with long wait times, they're missing out on many different online opportunities that exists these days.
One of the most popular online movie streaming websites is Netflix, which offers viewers instant access to more than 17,000 movies. After paying around $8 per month, you can just log-in, select a movie and start watching, which is much faster than having to run out to the store to buy or rent a film. Depending on how many movies you watch per month, it's also much cheaper to pay a small flat-fee like this. Yet, if you've ever tried streaming with a slow connection, then you know how frustrating it can be. Without satellite internet service, viewers' connections will often timeout and videos will stop loading. When you've just found a good movie to watch, there's nothing more frustrating than not being able to watch it due to your poor internet access. Netflix has competition from other content providers like Hulu, iTunes, Amazon and many others, and all of those are good options that have their own benefits and drawbacks.
Music fans really enjoy being able to stream songs online because it enables them to learn about new bands they wouldn't have otherwise heard about. Websites like Pandora enable people with fast satellite internet connections to stream radio stations online and each radio station is closely tied to a theme or band. If you don't like a song that you hear, you can even skip ahead to the next one. Additionally, websites like MySpace and YouTube make it possible to listen to entire songs or watch music videos from specific bands of your choosing. There are plenty of other great listening options for listening to music online as well, but no matter what outlet you go through, you'll want to have speedy satellite internet access so you don't run into problems.

Gemma Arterton BiographyGemma Arterton Biography

She was born with six fingers on each hand and on June 5th 2010 she married her stunt-man fiancé in a fairytale ceremony in a Moorish Castle in Andalucia, Spain.
Gemma Arterton wore a flowing strapless white dress and a veil and they exchanged their vows against a picturesque setting. The couple met on the James Bond film "Quantum of Solace" in 2008 when she was a Bond Girl and he was a stuntman.
Arterton was born in Gravesend, Kent with polydactyly (an extra digit on the fingers or toes). Her father had it and so did her grandfather. The doctor who delivered her tied off the extra fingers and they fell off, leaving small scars.
Her parents divorced when she was 5-years old and her father re-married when she was 7-years-old so her single mother brought Gemma and her younger sister Hannah Jane up on a housing estate in Gravesend.
She worked as a make-up sales girl and took a performance arts course at the Miskin Theatre in Dartford, part of North West Kent College and then trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art on a full grant.
Arterton won her first professional role in Stephen Poliakoff's "Capturing Mary" while she was still at Drama School, she also made her stage debut as Rosalind in Shakespeare's "Love's Labour's Lost" at the Globe Theatre in London in July 2007 before graduating later that year.
Her film debut was in the 2007 St Trinians film when she beat Sienna Miller for the role as Head Girl. The following year she was chosen to be Bond Girl Strawberry Fields in "Quantum of Solace" from 1500 candidates.
She also played the protagonist in the BBC adaptation of Thomas Hardy's "Tess of the D'Urbervilles". Her most controversial film role was in "The Disappearance of Alice Creed in 2009" in which her character was kidnapped and abused in several graphic nude scenes.
She was nominated for a BAFTA for this performance and she was nominated again for her role in "Tamara Drewe" when she played the leading role.
The film was based on a weekly comic strip serial by Posy Simmonds published in The Guardian Review section. The strip is based upon a modern re-working of Thomas Hardy's 19th Century novel "Far From the Madding Crowd."
The film was premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2010 and won the 2009 Prix de la Critique.
Gemma Arterton is very beautiful and prefers to wear minimum make-up as she likes the natural look. She believes too much make-up makes her look old, so she frequently goes to events without wearing any mascara.

Gemma Arterton BiographyGemma Arterton Biography

She was born with six fingers on each hand and on June 5th 2010 she married her stunt-man fiancé in a fairytale ceremony in a Moorish Castle in Andalucia, Spain.
Gemma Arterton wore a flowing strapless white dress and a veil and they exchanged their vows against a picturesque setting. The couple met on the James Bond film "Quantum of Solace" in 2008 when she was a Bond Girl and he was a stuntman.
Arterton was born in Gravesend, Kent with polydactyly (an extra digit on the fingers or toes). Her father had it and so did her grandfather. The doctor who delivered her tied off the extra fingers and they fell off, leaving small scars.
Her parents divorced when she was 5-years old and her father re-married when she was 7-years-old so her single mother brought Gemma and her younger sister Hannah Jane up on a housing estate in Gravesend.
She worked as a make-up sales girl and took a performance arts course at the Miskin Theatre in Dartford, part of North West Kent College and then trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art on a full grant.
Arterton won her first professional role in Stephen Poliakoff's "Capturing Mary" while she was still at Drama School, she also made her stage debut as Rosalind in Shakespeare's "Love's Labour's Lost" at the Globe Theatre in London in July 2007 before graduating later that year.
Her film debut was in the 2007 St Trinians film when she beat Sienna Miller for the role as Head Girl. The following year she was chosen to be Bond Girl Strawberry Fields in "Quantum of Solace" from 1500 candidates.
She also played the protagonist in the BBC adaptation of Thomas Hardy's "Tess of the D'Urbervilles". Her most controversial film role was in "The Disappearance of Alice Creed in 2009" in which her character was kidnapped and abused in several graphic nude scenes.
She was nominated for a BAFTA for this performance and she was nominated again for her role in "Tamara Drewe" when she played the leading role.
The film was based on a weekly comic strip serial by Posy Simmonds published in The Guardian Review section. The strip is based upon a modern re-working of Thomas Hardy's 19th Century novel "Far From the Madding Crowd."
The film was premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2010 and won the 2009 Prix de la Critique.
Gemma Arterton is very beautiful and prefers to wear minimum make-up as she likes the natural look. She believes too much make-up makes her look old, so she frequently goes to events without wearing any mascara.

How About Leaning the Tower of Pisa on Your Wall?

There possibly could not be a human being on earth who doesn't like the idea of travel. Travel always brings to mind great scenery, exotic locales, undiscovered destinations, blue waters, the great skyline and so many other different things to different people.
Whatever location you choose to visit, you can be sure that you will be able to pick up something related to that destination. This includes a gamut of things like photographs, travel wallpapers, shells, calendars, diaries, mementos and many other such memorabilia. How can a trip to a place be complete without an album? You will want something to remember the great times you had there. So it doesn't come as a surprise that there are so many people who are in the business of selling travel wallpapers.
If you ever think of Italy, the first thing that comes to mind most of the time is the leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy. Apart from being a part of every traveler's wish list, the leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy is also something that is an architectural marvel. So what exactly is the leaning Tower of Pisa? This is nothing, but a bell tower that is freestanding and symbolic as the Cathedral of this beautiful Italian city quite Pisa. This monument is situated right behind the cathedral. At the height of almost 55 m from the ground, the walls are at least 13 feet wide at the base and keep taping and has to go right up to the top you'll be able to find that they measure just about 2 feet in width. If you need to go right to the top, you will need to be mentally prepared to climb almost over and 90+ steps. So the Leaning Tower of Pisa is definitely not for the weak hearted and for those who do not like a rush of adrenaline. I would suggest though that you do make the effort and climb up. the view is priceless!
Since this is denoted as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, it needs to be mentioned what the angle of inclination is, without which this whole article would be incomplete. The angle was almost 5/2° some years ago, but corrective action has been taken now, which has bought the incline to about 4° right now.
If you are missing a collection of the Leaning Tower of Pisa travel wallpapers, it is not high time you added that to your repertoire?

How About Leaning the Tower of Pisa on Your Wall?

There possibly could not be a human being on earth who doesn't like the idea of travel. Travel always brings to mind great scenery, exotic locales, undiscovered destinations, blue waters, the great skyline and so many other different things to different people.
Whatever location you choose to visit, you can be sure that you will be able to pick up something related to that destination. This includes a gamut of things like photographs, travel wallpapers, shells, calendars, diaries, mementos and many other such memorabilia. How can a trip to a place be complete without an album? You will want something to remember the great times you had there. So it doesn't come as a surprise that there are so many people who are in the business of selling travel wallpapers.
If you ever think of Italy, the first thing that comes to mind most of the time is the leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy. Apart from being a part of every traveler's wish list, the leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy is also something that is an architectural marvel. So what exactly is the leaning Tower of Pisa? This is nothing, but a bell tower that is freestanding and symbolic as the Cathedral of this beautiful Italian city quite Pisa. This monument is situated right behind the cathedral. At the height of almost 55 m from the ground, the walls are at least 13 feet wide at the base and keep taping and has to go right up to the top you'll be able to find that they measure just about 2 feet in width. If you need to go right to the top, you will need to be mentally prepared to climb almost over and 90+ steps. So the Leaning Tower of Pisa is definitely not for the weak hearted and for those who do not like a rush of adrenaline. I would suggest though that you do make the effort and climb up. the view is priceless!
Since this is denoted as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, it needs to be mentioned what the angle of inclination is, without which this whole article would be incomplete. The angle was almost 5/2° some years ago, but corrective action has been taken now, which has bought the incline to about 4° right now.
If you are missing a collection of the Leaning Tower of Pisa travel wallpapers, it is not high time you added that to your repertoire?

Top Secrets On How To Be A Mentalist

Ever look at the famous mentalists such as David Blaine or Dynamo as they preform these seemingly impossible mind trick, and just say to yourself "How on earth did he do that?" Could it be an extra ordinary or some super natural power.
Well the answer to this is quite simple, No. What these guys have done is simply mastered the art form known as Mentalism.
Now mentalists have been around for centuries, when it was earlier thought that it was indeed a form some magical and super natural power. Nowadays we know that's is not, and that mentalism is an art form that can indeed be learnt by almost anybody who is willing to try.
Learning the art of mentalism, although not the easiest art form to master, can bring some great benefits and joy to peoples lives.
As an aspiring mentalist myself, I know of the fun it bring to myself, friends and family, As there hasn't be a social gathering within the last 2 years that I haven't been asked to SHOW MY MENTALIST POWERS. We have a good laugh and I haven't been caught out yet.
The simplest form or the best way to get started I found was with Card Mentalism. And there's quite a good number of simple tricks out there to get you started quite easily for free. A good point to note now is that you should never reveal your secret on how you preformed your mind reading feat, as it rarely has the same impact the second time if people know how you have exactly read their minds.
You will find that some of the most famous mentalist around today such as Dynamo and David Blaine have mastered the methods and techniques of:
- mis-direction
- facial expressions
- body language
- concealment
- Visual effects
- Predictability
- The power of suggestion
and there are plenty more. And thankfully these methods and techniques can be learnt quite easily, and with practise you you too can have the ability to READ PEOPLES MINDS.
Now having the power to read peoples minds may not be exact, but these guys use a number of carefully chosen tactics:
- There are a certain group of questions which can be asked
- Following the chosen questions, there are certain answers to watch for
- and combining these answers with other elements such as body movements, reactions, and some other visual responses
the mentalist can come to a very accurate conclusion to what his subject is thinking about.
In conclusion, mentalism combined with aspects of illusion and mis-direction can be very entertaining, whether it's for fun at home with family and friends or other social events. Remember if you want to learn the secrets to becoming a mentalist, you can. And I've included the link to a pretty cool site below which offers some really cool free tricks, tips and videos on "How to become a Mentalist".

Top Secrets On How To Be A Mentalist

Ever look at the famous mentalists such as David Blaine or Dynamo as they preform these seemingly impossible mind trick, and just say to yourself "How on earth did he do that?" Could it be an extra ordinary or some super natural power.
Well the answer to this is quite simple, No. What these guys have done is simply mastered the art form known as Mentalism.
Now mentalists have been around for centuries, when it was earlier thought that it was indeed a form some magical and super natural power. Nowadays we know that's is not, and that mentalism is an art form that can indeed be learnt by almost anybody who is willing to try.
Learning the art of mentalism, although not the easiest art form to master, can bring some great benefits and joy to peoples lives.
As an aspiring mentalist myself, I know of the fun it bring to myself, friends and family, As there hasn't be a social gathering within the last 2 years that I haven't been asked to SHOW MY MENTALIST POWERS. We have a good laugh and I haven't been caught out yet.
The simplest form or the best way to get started I found was with Card Mentalism. And there's quite a good number of simple tricks out there to get you started quite easily for free. A good point to note now is that you should never reveal your secret on how you preformed your mind reading feat, as it rarely has the same impact the second time if people know how you have exactly read their minds.
You will find that some of the most famous mentalist around today such as Dynamo and David Blaine have mastered the methods and techniques of:
- mis-direction
- facial expressions
- body language
- concealment
- Visual effects
- Predictability
- The power of suggestion
and there are plenty more. And thankfully these methods and techniques can be learnt quite easily, and with practise you you too can have the ability to READ PEOPLES MINDS.
Now having the power to read peoples minds may not be exact, but these guys use a number of carefully chosen tactics:
- There are a certain group of questions which can be asked
- Following the chosen questions, there are certain answers to watch for
- and combining these answers with other elements such as body movements, reactions, and some other visual responses
the mentalist can come to a very accurate conclusion to what his subject is thinking about.
In conclusion, mentalism combined with aspects of illusion and mis-direction can be very entertaining, whether it's for fun at home with family and friends or other social events. Remember if you want to learn the secrets to becoming a mentalist, you can. And I've included the link to a pretty cool site below which offers some really cool free tricks, tips and videos on "How to become a Mentalist".